Preliminary investigation targeting the Vauban port of Antibes after an Anticor report

A preliminary investigation targeting the Vauban port in Antibes, the first European marina by its tonnage, was opened by the Grasse public prosecutor's office following a report from the anti-corruption association Anticor, qualified as "baseless allegations "by the port.

Anticor, in a report to the public prosecutor's office, denounced the competition procedure of the Public Service Delegation (DSP) of the port of Antibes awarded by the city in 2016 to the company SAS Vauban 21 (CCI, Caisse d'Epargne , Caisse des Dépôts et Consignation), and the development work carried out by SAS.

"The investigation into market conditions is underway at the judicial police," Grasse prosecutor Fabienne Atzori told AFP.

According to Anticor, the marketing of long-term mooring contracts or "guarantees of use" to boat owners would be "breach of trust" and "embezzlement of public funds" because no new ring would have was actually created, explains Jean Galli, member of Anticor du Var.

Anticor also asserts that during the call for tenders for the attribution of the DSP, all the files had established a financing plan excluding the sums received thanks to the Guarantees of use, except one, Vauban 21. This is not that later, in 2019, that the town hall authorized the sale of guarantees of use, points out Anticor: "It is an infringement of the rules of competition", estimates Mr. Galli.

"We dispute Anticor's baseless allegations and are serene about the outcome of the criminal proceedings," the operating company responded to AFP.

SAS Vauban 21, headed by its managing director Jacques Lesieur, had started to market these first usage guarantees at the “Billionaires' Quay”, designed for 18 super-yachts measuring up to 160 meters.

Since January, these long-term mooring contracts have also been marketed on the main body of water where 442 berths for boats over 13 meters await takers from January 1, 2022, for periods of 10 or 21 years, replacing farm lease contracts expiring at the end of 2021, explained SAS Vauban 21.

In full change, the port also began in February the demolition of the International Yacht Club of Antibes, which marks the start of modernization work undertaken "for an investment of 135 million euros", according to the port.

The port of Antibes has a total of 1.652 berths.